Dee Bost doing his thing in the D-League

Posted by
Inside Hoops

Feb
25

Dee Bost is a former high school quarterback who once collected MVP honors in the North Carolina Class 3A State Championship Game.

Today he’s the NBA D-League’s top quarterback, averaging a league-best 8.8 assists through 35 games with the Idaho Stampede. That’s no small feat, considering he shared a backcourt for much of this season with Pierre Jackson, the most dynamic scorer the NBA D-League has seen in recent years, and someone who had the ball in his hands … a lot. (Jackson left Idaho last week to sign a contract overseas).

In his first full week sans Jackson, Bost did okay, if your definition of okay is averaging a triple-double. In two games, the 6-2 guard from Mississippi State, who went undrafted in 2012 out of Mississippi State, averaged 20.5 points, 14.5 assists and 11.5 rebounds, as the Stampede posted wins over the Maine Red Claws and Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Bost, who played his first professional season for KK Buducnost in Montenegro (Adriatic League), was in training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers in October, and subsequently picked up by the Trail Blazers’ NBA D-League affiliate Idaho. He was recently selected to play in the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game in New Orleans, tallying four points and seven assists in 20 minutes.

As far as his NBA chances go, Bost continues to be somewhat of a mixed bag in the eyes of most scouts. He has NBA-caliber speed and quickness, along with very good vision. The strength of his game is his ability to get in the lane and find people. The flipside is Bost is very turnover prone — he’s averaging 3.5 turnovers this season — and when you pair that with streaky outside shooting, his attractiveness as a backup point guard at the NBA level diminishes.

Still, guards who average better than 8.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds in a very competitive NBA D-League, and have impressive physical tools, are going to be on the radar for NBA teams. If Bost can reign it in a bit, and continue to improve as a perimeter shooter, he has a chance to play in the NBA someday.